University of Nebraska - Lincoln
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Agronomy & Horticulture -- Faculty Publications
Agronomy and Horticulture Department
1997
Season and Genotype Influence Golf Ball Roll
Distance on Creeping Bentgrass
A.M. Rist
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Roch E. Gaussoin
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]
Bob Shearman
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]
J.D. Fry
Kansas State University
Walter W. Stroup
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, [email protected]
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Rist, A.M.; Gaussoin, Roch E.; Shearman, Bob; Fry, J.D.; and Stroup, Walter W., "Season and Genotype Influence Golf Ball Roll
Distance on Creeping Bentgrass" (1997). Agronomy & Horticulture -- Faculty Publications. 669.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/agronomyfacpub/669
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TURF MANAGEMENT
HORTSCIENCE 32(5):878-879. 1997.
Season and Genotype Influence Golf
Ball Roll Distance on Creeping
Bentgrass
A.M. Rist!, R.E. Gaussoin2, and R.C. Shearman3
Department ofHorticulture, University ofNebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0724
J.D. Fry4
Department ofHorticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources Kansas State
University, Manhattan, KS 66506-5506
W.W. StroupS
Department of Biometry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0712
Abstract. Golfers are demanding increased ball roll distances on a daily basis, but cultural
practices to achieve this often are detrimental to the green. One option for increasing ball
roll distance without altering cultural practices may be to select creeping bentgrass genotypes
that provide less resistance to ball roll. Studies were conducted at the John Seaton Anderson
Turfgrass and Ornamental Research Facility near Ithaca, Neb., and at the Rocky Ford
Turfgrass Research Facility in Manhattan, Kans., to determine genotype and seasonal
influences on golf ball roll distance. Eighteen creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.)
genotypes were evaluated. Genotype was not a significant source of variability, but the
location x season interaction was. Significant seasonal differences in ball roll occurred at
both locations. Ball roll distances for spring, summer, and fall were 98,15, and 31 cm greater
at the Nebraska test location than at the Kansas site. Correlations between turfgrass visual
quality and ball roll distance were not significant. Therefore, the use of genotypes
exhibiting high turfgrass visual quality will not necessarily result in longer ball rolls. Since
there were no season x genotype or genotype x location interactions, ball roll distance on
genotypes at each location changed similarly with season. Genotype selection appears to
have little influence on ball roll distance under the conditions tested at these two locations.
Green speed, a term used to describe the
distance a golf ball rolls off a Stimpmeter, has
become a major issue on golf courses in recent
years. Golfers are demanding increased green
speeds but cultural practices required to increase ball roll distances are often detrimental
to the turf (Oatis, 1990; Radko, 1985). Ball roll
distance can be enhanced by reducing mowing
height, decreasing nitrogen nutrition rate, and
increasing topdressing frequency (Salaiz et
aI., 1995; Shearman, 1984; Throssell, 1981).
One option for increasing ball roll distance
without altering cultural practices may be to
select creeping bentgrass genotypes that provide less resistance to ball roll.
New creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris
Huds.) genotypes that produce finer leaves,
more upright growth, and denser canopies
than those commonly used on present golf
greens have recently been released (Engelke et
aI., 1995a, 1995b; Robinson et aI., 1991;
Received for publication 15 Oct. 1996. Accepted for
publication 3 Feb. 1997. Joint contribution of NebraskaAgr. Res. Div. Journal No. 11693 and Kansas
Agr. Expt. Sta. Contribution No. 97-75-J. The cost
of publishing this paper was defrayed in part by the
payment of page charges. Under postal regulations,
this paper therefore must be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact.
'Graduate Student.
2Extension Turfgrass Specialist.
3Professor.
4Associate Professor.
5Professor.
878
Skogley et aI., 1993). The improved characteristics of these new genotypes may provide
faster putting surfaces.
Throssell (1981) observed significant ball
roll distance differences among 36 creeping
bentgrass genotypes. However, the longest
and shortest ball roll distance differed by only
9% (23 cm). Langlois (1985) evaluated 22 of
the same bentgrass genotypes, but obtained no
significant differences in ball roll distance.
The objectives of our research were to
compare golf ball roll distance among new
creeping bentgrass genotypes and to identify
seasonal differences in ball roll distance.
Materials and Methods
We used a modified Stimpmeter (Gaussoin
et aI., 1995) that has the ball release notch
located 38 cm from the tapered end instead of
the standard 76 cm to measure ball roll distance. We tested 18 creeping bentgrass genotypes at the John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass
Research Facility (JSA), located at the Agricultural Research and Development Center
near Ithaca, Neb., and the Rocky Ford Turfgrass
Research Center (RF) in Manhattan, Kans.,
during spring, summer and fall 1995 . Turfgrass
quality ratings (1-9, 9 = best) were taken
during the summer and fall at both locations.
Both sites were sand-based greens. Genotypes
were arranged in a randomized complete-block
design with three replications. Plots measured
1.5 x 1.5 m.
Data were taken at JSA on 1 June, 10 Aug.,
and 27 Sept. 1995 and at RF on 9 June, 8 Aug.,
and 10 Oct. 1995. Ball roll distance was measured 24 h after mowing, after dew was removed by dragging a hose over the plots and
then waiting ::::::30 min for the leaves to dry.
Measurements were taken using three Titleist
DT golf balls (Titleist and Foot-Joy Worldwide, Fairhaven, Mass.). The average ofthree
rolls in one direction and the average of three
rolls in the opposite direction were used to
determine ball roll distance for each plot.
Management practices were as follows:
JSA = mowing 6 d weekly at 3.2 mm with a
walk behind greens mower containing a
grooved Wiley roller; verticutting every 10 to
14 d; topdressing with sand at 0.08 cm3 ·m-2
every 10 to 14 d andN at 19.5 g·m-2 ·year 1• No
herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides were
applied; RF = mowing 6 d weekly at 3.9 mm
with a triplex mower; sand topdressing, after
fall core aeration, at 0.6 cm 3 ·m-2 ; and N at
15.6 g·m-2 ·year 1• No fungicides were applied. The preemergence herbicide dithiopyr
{3,5-pyridinedicarbothioic acid, 2(difluoromethyl)-4-(2-methy Ipropy 1)-6(trifluoromethly)-S-S-dimethly ester} was applied on 6 Apr. 1995 with a.i. at 0.056 g·m-2 and
the insecticide trichlorfon (2,2,2-trichloro-lhydroxyethly)phosphate was applied on 9 Aug.
1995, at 0.62 g·m-2 .
Results and Discussion
The genotype main effect was not significant; but the season x location interaction was
highly significant (Table 1). Locations were
separated and two orthogonal contrasts, the
average of spring and fall vs. summer and
spring vs. fall, were calculated. At JSA, both
Table 1. Analysis of variance table for ball roll distance on 18 creeping bentgrass entries at the John Seaton
Anderson Turfgrass and Ornamental Research Facility near Ithaca, Neb., and the Rocky Ford Turfgrass
Research Center in Manhattan, Kans.
Source
Location
Error a
Genotype
Location x genotype
Error b
Season
Season x location
Season x rep (location)
Season x genotype
Season x location x genotype
Error c
df
1
4
17
17
66
2
2
8
34
34
132
P>F
F
1620.75
12.82
1.08
0.68
0.0001
0.0001
0.3914
0.8148
925.41
614.93
1.71
1.21
0.84
0.0001
0.0001
0.1006
0.2214
0.7174
HORTSCIENCE, VOL.
32(5),
AUGUST
1997
Table 2. Seasonal ball roll distance averages and contrasts on 18 creeping bentgrass entries at the John Seaton
Anderson Turfgrass and Ornamental Research Facility (JSA) near Ithaca, Neb., and the Rocky Ford
Turfgrass Research Center (RF) in Manhattan, Kans.
Ball roll distance (cm)
Season
Spring
Summer
Fall
Seasonal contrasts
Spring + fall vs. summer
Spring vs. fall
JSA
305
213
241
P>F
0.0001
0.0001
contrasts were highly significant. At RF, the
ball rolled significantly farther in spring and
fall than in summer, but the distances in spring
and fall were similar (Table 2).
Longer ball roll distance during the spring
and fall was surprising since maximum vertical elongation occurs during these seasons in
cool-season grasses (Landschoot and Waddington, 1987; Woolhouse, 1981). Dollar spot
at RF was severe during the summer measurement, which may have influenced ball roll
distances. When the ball hit the diseased area,
some momentum appeared to be lost, resulting
in shorter ball rolls.
The ball rolled farther at JSA than at RF in
all seasons (Table 2). The longer ball rolls at
JSA were most likely due to the lower mowing
height (Langlois, 1985; Salaiz et aI., 1995;
Throssell, 1981) and the light, frequent
topdressings (Shearman, 1984) not applied at
RF.
Seasonal variation in ball roll distance at
JSA was 92 cm, which is similar to data
Langlois (1985) reported; High variation in
HORTSCIENCE, VOL.
32(5),
RF
207
198
210
AUGUST
1997
0.0001
0.6691
some seasonal ball roll distances has been
previously explained by management practices, weather, and the maturity of the turf
(Langlois, 1985; Radko et aI., 1981; Throssell,
1981). The seasonal variation at RF was 12
cm.
Correlations between ball roll distance and
turfgrass visual quality were not significant at
either location. Therefore, the use of genotypes exhibiting high visual quality ratings
will not necessarily result in longer ball roll
distances.
Since there were no season x genotype or
genotype x location interactions, ball roll distance on genotypes at each location changed
similarly across seasons. Genotype selection
seems to have little influence on ball roll
distance under the conditions tested at the two
locations that we used.
Literature Cited
Engelke, M.C., V.G. Lehman, C. Mays, P.F.
Colbaugh, J.A. Reinert, and W.E. Knoop. 1995a.
Registration of 'Cato' creeping bentgrass. Crop
Sci. 35:590--591.
Engelke, M.e., V.G. Lehman, W.R Kneebone, P.F.
Colbaugh, J.A. Reinert, and W.E. Knoop. 1995b.
Registration of 'Crenshaw' creeping bentgrass.
Crop Sci. 35:590.
Gaussoin, RE., J.L. Nus, and L. Leuthold. 1995. A
modified Stimpmeter for small plot turfgrass
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Landschoot, P.J. and D.V. Waddington. 1987. Response of turfgrass to various nitrogen sources.
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Langlois, S.R 1985. Practices affecting putting
green speed. MS Thesis, The Pennsylvania State
Univ., University Park.
Oatis, D.A. 1990. It's time we put the green back in
green speed. USGA Green Section 28: 1-6.
Radko, A.M. 1985. Have we gone too far with low
nitrogen on greens? USGA Green Section
23(22):26-28.
Robinson, M.F., L.A. Brilman, and W.R Kneebone.
1991. Registration of 'SR1020' creeping
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and Ontario Agr. College., Univ. of Guelph,
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879